


Waiting game

by riverwriteskinda



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24089464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverwriteskinda/pseuds/riverwriteskinda
Summary: After Raquel and Paula's arrival in Palawan, Sergio finds himself in a delicate situation with his girlfriend's daughter and he needs to work hard to win her trust and friendship.(Or the scenes we should have had in the TV show.)
Relationships: Professor | Sergio Marquina & Paula Vicuña, Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 14
Kudos: 116





	1. Small steps

"Sergio's not coming?" Paula blurted out, while playing with the food in her plate, not feeling particularly hungry. Her eyes kept racing to the door, wondering if he was going to show up. 

Raquel froze with the spoon in the air and her mouth opened, stopping to gaze at the girl. She abandoned the rice and straightened her back, shifting to sit more comfortably in the chair. "After the show you've put on last night he decided against it." Raquel tried not to sound too irritated and be more understanding towards Paula, but still she had a hard time comprehending her behavior. Sergio has done nothing more than give her the space she needed to adjust in the last month, spoiling her with presents and meeting her every desire. And how did she react when he joined them for one single dinner? She completely ignored his attempts to talk to her and then screamed in his face. 

Maybe it was the sudden change in their life, leaving Spain so abruptly, their only home for so many years, to move around the world. "That must have been overwhelming." Sergio suggested, trying to appeal to her after their disastrous dinner, but it still wasn't a good enough reason for the girl to lash out in such a manner. Especially since Paula didn't seem too affected. Quite the opposite, her daughter quickly embraced this new, exotic place and their different lifestyle. Mostly because now she could spend all the time she wanted with her mother, playing the violin, painting, swimming, dancing, doing everything she could think of. On the contrary, she was the happiest she's ever been. They both were. And because of that, Raquel was flabbergasted by some of her actions and words.

"So he won't eat tonight?" the girl insisted, staring at the door frame intently and tapping her foot on the ground. Paula was worried Sergio will never want to talk to her again after her behaviour the previous night and her fears were confirmed when he didn't show up for dinner, he was clearly avoiding her.

"I suppose he'll eat later. Why do you ask?" The woman muttered, focusing her eyes back on the food in front of her.

"No reason." She replied quickly, leaving her chair and kneeling near the sofa to search through the toys scattered on the ground. She grinned, satisfied, after having found the one she was looking for and turned to look at her mother. "Can I go play in my room?" Raquel just nodded mindlessly, watching the girl exit the kitchen.

/

"Why did you leave in such a hurry earlier?" Instead of just kissing her goodnight and turning the lights off like she did each evening, Raquel sat by her side on the bed and waited eagerly for a response. When she failed to deliver one, the woman vocalized her own thoughts. "So Sergio will have enough time to eat?" The girl just nodded hesitantly, avoiding her mother's gaze. She wasn't exactly wrong. 

/

Over the next week, Paula saw Sergio on only one occasion and through a window. He had just come back from his usual Monday trip into the city and was unloading the bags of groceries from his motorcycle when he spotted her in the window of her bedroom, watching him. Before rushing to hide behind the curtain, the girl could notice a warm smile appearing on his face. Maybe he wasn't mad at her after all.

Later that day, she couldn't help but frown when she found a small, pink box on her desk. Why would he still buy her presents after the way she treated him? It didn't make sense. The girl began ripping the wrapping paper, curiosity winning her over. Inside, she discovered a stunning music box, etched with lace bunting and fashioned from dark exotic wood. She brushed her fingers on the every edge of the charming object, before opening the lid. The room filled with music, a beautiful tone surging from the wooden box into the space around her. Paula squealed with delight as her eyes laid on the golden violin and bow figurine. She put the box down carefully and grabbed a pen from her case, scribbling down a heartfelt message for the man, thanking him for the thoughtful gift. She made her way quickly to his office and dropped it on a pile of red folders. 

Sergio entered his office with two plates in his hands, feeling exhausted after a long day of running errands and shopping. He would've preferred having dinner with Raquel, feeling the desperate need to talk to her about his restless thoughts and concerns. She was the only one who knew how to put an end to them, how to sooth him, sometimes it was almost like magic. But they couldn't. Paula still needed time to adjust to this new situation, so he chose to enjoy his meal alone, in the silence of his office. 

Imagine his surprise when he found her note, resting on a stack of crimson clipboards on his desk. Sergio could feel his chest tighten, reading her kind words written in light pink marker. His eyes filled with tears, as he just sat there in his stool, staring at the paper with a dumb smile on his face. He didn't expect anything in return when he placed that music box in Paula's room, but the girl just gave him the biggest gift he could imagine. He remembered the moment he saw the wooden box at the marketplace and how his mind instantly raced to her. He was certain she would love it, but he had no idea just how much. 

He was wrong to think Raquel was the only person who could put a smile on his face these days, Paula did just that with a few words on a crumbled paper. The man held on to her letter, safely storing it between the pages of his father's notebook, the only thing he had left of his, and then returned to the food that had turned cold already. But it didn't matter, because nothing could shake the grin now imprinted on his face.


	2. Safe

Paula slowly began to notice Sergio's office door was always open, at any time, day or night, whether he was inside or not, it was always open. The room was at the end of a long corridor, placed in such a way that you couldn't stumble upon it accidentally. At first, she began using the office as her hiding place, when playing hide and seek with her grandmother. The older woman never found her there, sitting under the wooden desk and admiring the pictures on the wall, making up stories in her mind about the people trapped inside those precious memories. 

Unlike the rest of the house which had a colorful, exotic vibe, this room was plain, formal, rigid even, and Paula couldn't help but be fascinated by it, as it strangely reminded her of their home in Spain. Over time, the office became her favourite spot in the entire house. Each time Sergio went into the city, she used to sneak in and hang around, passing the time looking through drawers, shelves, books and analyzing the various frames containing photos of people Paula didn't know. She believed she recognized two or three of them, but she had no actual idea about who they were. She desperately wanted to ask him about those people. Were they his friends? Where were they? Why did they seem so familiar? 

Sergio almost caught her on multiple occasions, she remembers vividly one such instance, when he returned earlier than usual from the marketplace and she hadn't heard his motorcycle entering the driveway. Other times, she simply lost track of time, forgetting about his arrival back home.

Paula was certain the man wasn't suspecting anything, as the door kept being unlocked at all times. And after a while, she became more and more reckless, sneaking inside the room even with Sergio home. 

/ 

"Have you seen Paula?" Raquel asked, swiftly covering the living room and placing a kiss on her boyfriend's lips, before walking past him.

Sergio was staring blankly at the page, reading the same paragraph for the seventh time, unable to concentrate on the words. He couldn't find a comfortable position on that damned couch, shifting every couple of minutes, and there was too much noise coming from outside. "She's in my office again." He replied, finally abandoning the book.

Raquel rubbed her temples and sighed, turning to look at him. "I'm so sorry, Sergio. I'll go get her." 

"No, no, let her be. I don't mind." He intervened, rising from the couch and taking a better look at the lines on her forehead. "You seem troubled. Is something wrong?" 

"You haven't read the articles?" He shook his head hesitantly, but he understood from her demeanor what this was all about. The rumors of her leaving Spain finally hit the news, probably all thanks to Raquel's ex-husband. He had no idea what he was supposed to say, so he opened his arms and watched as the woman made her way towards him. She just threw herself in his strong embrace, resting his face in the crook of his neck. "They're everywhere. On every site. Raquel Murillo, the former inspector, kidnaps her daughter and joins the robbers from the Royal Mint. And believe it or not, that's a decent one." 

"I'm sorry, Raquel." was the only thing he could mumble, playing with her hair with one hand and grasping her waist tightly with the other, like letting her go would mean the end of the world, like he would crumple to the ground without her touch. Sergio kissed her forehead, cupping her face and forcing the woman to look at him. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." She whispered, standing on her toes in order to properly stare into his eyes. "If I had the chance to do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing, you know? I couldn't care less about the press or what they write in those articles, there's nowhere I'd rather be than here with you." 

"I love you, Raquel." Sergio kissed her teary cheek and hugged her once more.

"I love you, too." 

/

Paula was so caught up in the game she was playing on her phone that she didn't realize the office was occupied. Sergio examined her carefully as she sat across from him in an armchair, too engrossed in the game to acknowledge his presence in the room. The man kept biting his lips, in order to keep the laugh from escaping his throat. He didn't want to scare her, so he just waited in complete silence for the girl to notice him. 

Paula's eyes widened violently when she finally lifted her eyes from the screen and straight into the man's curios eyes. She was so distraught by her phone that she forgot to make sure Sergio wasn't in his office. The girl began shuffling her feet, searching for something to say, an explanation, an apology, she didn't even know what. At least he wasn't mad. On the contrary, the man seemed quite amused by the whole situation. The corners of his eyes crinkled seeing the girl return his smile hesitantly, before jumping to her feet and preparing to run all the way back to her room. 

"There's no need to do that." Sergio spoke, arranging the glasses on his nose and rising from the chair. "I was going out anyways, so you can stay if you want." He swept past her, heading in the direction of the door. He didn't have anywhere to go, they both knew that. All the markets were closed at this hour. 

"Wait..." Paula whispered, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to process his words. He couldn't have known about the time she's been spending in his office, could he? 

But his eyes were telling another story. He knew. Of course he knew. "You don't have to sneak in anymore, Paula. You can come and go whenever you want. I don't mind." He announced, turning back to look at her. 

The girl's eyes were radiating warmth and her smile was an actual ray of sunshine, Sergio thought. She looked just like her mother. "Thank you." She mumbled, looking to her feet and avoiding his eyes. Paula returned to the armchair, getting her miniature easel out of her backpack, and started to paint. The man could've stayed in the door frame, watching her all day long, but he retreated to the living room with hope blooming in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, guys! While you wait for the next chapter, you can check out my other works on La casa de papel!


	3. Breathe

Paula stopped in the middle of the corridor to make sure the room was empty before going in. The girl was aware Sergio told her, on _several_ occasions, that she was welcome in his office anytime she wanted, but Paula was still reluctant. She didn't want to bother him. He was rarely inside anyways, so it was easy to avoid running into him.

She sat in the navy blue armchair situated near the window and gazed in the distance for a moment, before opening the thin book in her hands. Paula watched as small waves washed upon the sand, her face aglow with the last orange rays before twilight beckoned the stars. Her lips were resembling the beginning of a smile as she shifted into her seat in order to make herself more comfortable.

Suddenly, she froze, noticing a blue note and two chocolate cookies on Sergio's desk. _Sergio_. The girl knew straight away he was the one who put them there, without even needing to open the note.

" _For you_." it simply said, but it was more than enough for the widest grin to appear on her face. 

*

  
It had already became one of Sergio's daily routines to leave snacks for Paula. Each evening, after eating his dinner alone, he'd vacate his office but not before placing something for the girl. Only tonight he forgot to do so.

"Where are you going?" Raquel asked, staring at her boyfriend as he walked out of the room in the middle of the movie they were watching. She frowned, reaching for the remote control to pause the film.

"Forgot to drop something in my office. I'll be right back, babe." He shouted, grabbing a package of salted caramel biscuits and quickening his steps along the corridors. Raquel stared at the screen, desperately wanting to follow him. She was still unable to trust him completely, after all they’ve been through, after all the lies, but they were working on it. 

*

Suddenly, Sergio felt nervous about going into his office and meeting Paula. He was certain the girl was already inside, even though it only had been only a couple of minutes ever since he finished eating.

He's barely seen her over the past week, which was outrageous. It was like they weren't even living in the same house. He quickly arranged his glasses that were completely askew and inhaled deeply, stepping into the room.

Sergio couldn't help but smile seeing the girl sitting by the window, lost in the book she was reading, the book _he_ gave her. "What are you reading?" he asked cheerfully, placing the biscuits on the desk. 

The girl froze at his sight, gripping the purple object tightly in her hands. "I‐...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it from your shelf. Please, please, don't get mad." She whispered, hunching her shoulders. 

"What are you talking about? Wh– Why would I be mad?" The man narrowed his eyes, completely taken aback by her reaction. _Why would she ever think he'd get mad?_

The moment he realized the actual meaning behind her words, behind her reaction, Sergio felt the blood boil in his veins. He wished he could go back to Spain only to punch the bastard's disgusting face for good this time around, give him a complete beat down, _kill_ him. He thought he couldn't hate Raquel's ex-husband more than he already did, but seeing the girl violently shaking proved him exactly the opposite. His ears were buzzing, vision blurry, as he tried to focus his eyes back on Paula who was now struggling to draw her breath. _Panic attack_ , his mind screamed, but he couldn't move his feet. 

He opened his mouth to call out Raquel's name, but Paula shook her head quickly. “Please do– don’t. I don't want to worry mom. I'll be fine. I just ne– need to relax." She was still trembling, pressing her hand over her chest.

"Not there," Sergio said, pointing towards her hand. "Under your last rib."

"Wh–where?" she barely spoke in between shallow breaths. 

"Above your bellybutton." 

“Well, couldn’t you just say that?” she chuckled, causing the start of a coughing fit. 

“Less talking, more breathing.” Sergio suggested, as he circled around the desk, moving closer to the girl. He scrutinized her face with each step he took, making sure he wasn’t pushing her too far, making sure he wasn’t triggering her anymore. 

He sat down across from her, remembering the first time he had a panic attack. His brother was the one who talked him through it, who sat him down and held his hand, who told him a story to calm him. 

“Sit down with me." He whispered, patting the ground, motioning for the girl to sit. Unlike Andrés, he was never good in this type of situation; he had no idea what to say or how to say it. Sergio wished his brother could be here to sooth Paula, just like he soothed him years ago.

She was reluctant at first to take a seat next to him, but slowly obeyed his instructions. "Close your eyes and inhale deeply. Now, exhale.” he continued, smiling tenderly at her. 

“You’re good, you’re doing great. One more.” Seeing the worry in his glassy eyes, Paula relaxed. The loud throbbing of her heart grew quieter and quieter until it returned to its usual rhythm. Her eyes were still closed, wanting to avoid the questions Sergio was surely about to ask, but that didn't stop the man.

“How many times has this happened before?” he asked softly, much to Paula’s surprise. She expected something else, clearly not this.

“A few.” she replied, staring at her hands. “But it isn’t that bad. I’m used to it.” 

He had so many questions left unanswered, but Sergio decided against it. He won’t ask her. Not tonight, at least. He stretched his arm and grabbed the package he brought her. “Eat one, you’ll feel better.” 

“Thank you.” the girl said, encouraging him to take one too. “You seem to know a lot about these… panic attacks, correct?”

Sergio nodded. He had the perfect answer already prepared to roll off his tongue, but it didn’t feel adequate. Instead, he told her the truth. “I used to have them all the time when I was your age.”

His words shocked Paula as much as they shocked him. No one knew about his panic attacks, except for Andrés, who was no longer here.

“You did?” 

“Mhm,” he muttered before swallowing the biscuit, “I spent most of my early life in hospitals, so it was hard for me to adjust to what others considered normal. I was easily overwhelmed by pretty much anything: crowds, loud noises, animals…” 

“And how did you overcome it?”

“I have my brother to thank for that. He was always there for me. _Always_.” He sighed, turning to look at the girl.

She had moved by his side, leaning her back on the closed desk drawers. “Where is he now? Can I meet him?” Her voice was so hopeful, so innocent and Sergio’s heart shattered to pieces once more.

“I wish you could." He had never said it outloud before, fearing it would make it real, he wasn't ready to accept it, still unable to wrap his head around it. "He died a few months ago.”

Paula gasped, putting her hand over his, regretting her words. She wanted to apologize, when a question escaped her mouth, one which has been playing in her mind the past few weeks. “He’s the one in the pictures?”

Sergio chuckled softly, staring at her small hand pressed over his. "Yes," he then turned to look at the frames hanging on each wall, “this used to be his bedroom, but I couldn’t stand seeing it empty everyday, so I turned it into my office. I feel closer to him here, _safe._ ”

The girl shrugged, biting her lip. “Oh, I’m sorry I spent so much time in here, I didn’t know–“ 

He stopped her with a shake of his head. “It was quite touching honestly, seeing you’ve found comfort in here. Even if it was only because this room resembles your home back in Spain.” 

“How did you know?”

“Lucky guess.” He whispered, winking at her. “I have to get back before your mother comes looking for the both of us.”

She nodded hesitantly, finding herself not wanting him to leave. Paula watched as the man stood up and stretched out a hand to help her up. She took it without a second thought, a smile widening on her face. “Thank you, Sergio.” 

“Anytime– but let’s not do this again, though. You really scared me.” He reciprocated her grin and headed towards the door. “Listen, Paula, I won’t mention a word to your mother about this, but I hope you know you should tell her.” 

“I will, I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! I'm finally back.  
> Firstly, I have to apologize for the wait and for this emotional chapter, but I guess that's what I write best when I'm struggling myself. I hope you're doing well and the quarantine hasn't gotten to you. And if you aren't, just know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, it always is, it's just too damn hard to see sometimes.  
> Ok, enough about me. Write your thoughts below if you feel like it. And thank you so much for reading!❤


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